By Mark Aumann, Turner Sports Interactive
January 17, 2004
9:50 AM EST (1450 GMT)
ATLANTA -- Speedy Thompson still waits for someone to join him in the winner's circle.
Thompson, who drove a No. 30 Chrysler to victory at Martinsville in 1955, is the only driver to win a race in that numeral.
However, odds are good that someone will match that, since the No. 30 has been a regular on the circuit for the past 16 seasons.
Cotton Owens was the first to slip behind the wheel, finishing 16th at Charlotte in 1950. Two years later, Johnny Bridgers ran the first of two consecutive Southern 500s, with a best of 26th in 1953.
Thompson's win in 1955 was one of two starts at that car that year. Ned Jarrett also drove the No. 30 for two races.
In 1956, Frank Mundy nearly won at Phoenix, finishing second in a Carl Kiefhaefer-owned Chrysler. Jim Graham drove a Plymouth to a third-place finish at Merced, while Clyde Palmer was tenth at Portland.
Cale Yarborough made his NASCAR debut at Darlington in 1957, winding up 42nd in the Southern 500.
The next season, Doug Cox made 14 starts in the No. 30, and made the most of his chance, posting nine top-10s, including a second at Hillsboro. He finished 16th in the final standings.
In 1959, Cox ran four races, with a best of eighth at Spartanburg, while Yarborough was 27th at Darlington.
The next season, Bob Kosiski ran 44th in the Daytona 500, while Yarborough continued his one-race improvement, finishing 14th at Charlotte.
In 1961, owner Fred Clark alternated between six drivers: Cox, Bob Welborn, Gene White, Friday Hassler, Elmo Langley and Tiny Lund. Lund fared the best, running sixth at Charlotte.
Apparently driver-by-committee worked so well that Clark did it the next year, putting Lund, J.C. Hendrix and Johnny Sudderth in the car. Hendrix ended up 13th at North Wilkesboro in his one start.
Sudderth and Bunkie Blackburn split duties in 1963, then Larry Frank drove one race in 1964.
The numeral went out of favor until 1968, when Dave Marcis brought out a Chevrolet for 10 races, with a seventh at Augusta being his best effort.
In 1969, Marcis split time between Chevrolets and Dodges, finishing 19th in the points. His third-place finish at Hampton highlighted a season in which he had three top-fives and 11 top-10s.
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The next year was even better for Marcis, who parlayed seven top-fives and 15 top-10s into ninth place in the final standings.
By 1971, Walter Ballard had taken over the No. 30 and finished 10th in the points. He had 11 top-10s, including a third at Houston.
Over the next five years, Ballard would not be able to match that mark, although he was fifth at Richmond in 1974 and had three top-10s in 1975.
Carl Van Horn, Bill Champion and Salt Walther drove one race apiece in the No. 30 in 1975. Then in 1976, Bruce Hill, Tighe Scott, Terry Bivins and a young Dale Earnhardt each took their turns at the wheel, with Earnhardt finishing 31st in the World 600.
In 1977, Scott took over the ride on a full-time basis for a four-year period, with a best finish of fourth at Rockingham in 1979.
Roy Smith (1982) and Willy T. Ribbs (1986) each drove the No. 30 on a limited basis before Michael Waltrip moved over from the No. 23 in 1987.
Waltrip consistenly finished in the top 25 in the final standings and came close to winning, finishing second at Pocono in 1988, third at Charlotte in 1990, grabbing two poles in 1991, third at Talladega in 1994 and another third at Charlotte in 1995.
Rookie Johnny Benson moved to the No. 30 in 1996 and won a pole at Atlanta on his way to 21st in the standings. The next year, he moved up to 11th with eight top-10s in 32 races, earning him a shot in the No. 26.
Derrike Cope took over for 36 races over the next two seasons, then Jeff Green ran a seven-race schedule in 2001 before completing the schedule the next year. Green's best run was at Loudon, where he finished second.
After a tough start to the 2003 season for both drivers, Green and Steve Park switched places, with Park running fifth at Michigan, one of two top-10 finishes in 24 starts.
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